A newfangled leak suggests that Apple is gearing up for “ trial production ” of the iPhone 17e , which is due for press release in the spring of 2026 .
The Taiwanese leaker , “ Fixed Focus Digital , ” lock primarily on WeChat andWeibo , and has his ear to the solid ground of the Chinese supply chain . He says the iPhone 17e is about to insert “ test production ” which is common at this point — it ’s basically a lowly - scale psychometric test production frame-up meant to find problems or inefficiency while producing a small issue of test devices . This is to give both Apple time to bump and fix problems as well as time to correct the yield crease .
When Apple throw theiPhone SEfrom its batting order and replaced it with the more expensive ( but more capable)iPhone 16eas its most affordable iPhone , we mull that the name change hold back a passel of signification : Apple would change its most affordable iPhone from a sort of random , advertizement - hoc , multi - twelvemonth update measure to regular annual update as part of the stock numbered iPhone lineup .
It would come out that ’s the case , at least according to this latest rumor . Trial product of “ test ” unit a yr before launch is not uncommon ; volume production would start a few months before , to give time for millions of iPhones to be manufactured and travel via cargo ship for its global launching . That launch is said to go on next spring , roughly a year after theiPhone 16ewent on sale .
We do n’t know whether Apple will just replace the 16e with the newfangled model or cut the price of the existing telephone set to $ 499 . Nor do we know what iPhone 17 feature will make their way to the 17e , but with test units beginning to snip up , rumor should come out popping up presently .
